Friday, April 2, 2010

O my people, O my church,what have I done to you?How have I offended you?Answer me!I led you out of slavery into freedom,and delivered you through the waters of rebirth,

but you have prepared a cross for your Savior.

Holy God, holy and mighty, holy and immortal, have mercy on us.

Forty years I led you through the desert,feeding you with manna on the way;I saved you from the time of trialand gave you my body, the bread of heaven,

but you have prepared a cross for your Savior.

Holy God, holy and mighty, holy and immortal, have mercy on us.

I led you on your way in a pillar of cloud and fire,but you led me to the judgment hall of Pilate;I guided you with the light of the Holy Spirit,

but you have prepared a cross for your Savior.

Holy God, holy and mighty, holy and immortal, have mercy on us.

I planted you as my fairest vine,but you have brought forth bitter fruit;I made you branches of the vine and never left your side,

but you have prepared a cross for your Savior.

Holy God, holy and mighty, holy and immortal, have mercy on us.

O my people, O my church,what more could I have done for you?Answer me!I poured out saving water from the rock,but you gave me vinegar to drink;I poured out my lifeand gave you the new covenant in my blood,

but you have prepared a cross for your Savior.

Holy God, holy and mighty, holy and immortal, have mercy on us.

O my people, O my church,what more could I have done for you?Answer me!I gave you a royal scepter,but you gave me a crown of thorns;I gave you the kingdomand crowned you with eternal life,

but you have prepared a cross for your Savior.

Holy God, holy and mighty, holy and immortal, have mercy on us.

I struck down your enemies,but you struck my head with a reed;I gave you my peace,but you draw the sword in my name,

and you have prepared a cross for your Savior.

Holy God, holy and mighty, holy and immortal, have mercy on us.

I opened the waters to lead you to the promised land,but you opened my side with a spear;I washed your feet as a sign of my love,

but you have prepared a cross for your Savior.

Holy God, holy and mighty, holy and immortal, have mercy on us.

O my people, O my church,what more could I have down for you?Answer me!I lifted you up to the heights,but you lifted me high on a cross;I raised you from deathand prepared for you the tree of life,

but you have prepared a cross for your Savior.

Holy God, holy and mighty, holy and immortal, have mercy on us.

I grafted you into my people Israel,but you made them scapegoats for your own guilt,

and you have prepared a cross for your Savior.

Holy God, holy and mighty, holy and immortal, have mercy on us.

I came to you in the least of your brothers and sisters,but I was hungry and you gave me no food,thirsty and you gave me no drink,a stranger and you did not welcome me,naked and you did not clothe me,sick and in prison and you did not visit me,

and you have prepared a cross for your Savior.

Holy God, holy and mighty, holy and immortal, have mercy on us.

Lord Jesus Christ, Son of the living God, we pray you to set your passion, cross, and death between your judgment andour souls, now and in the hour of our death. Give mercy andgrace to the living; pardon and rest to the dead; to your holyChurch peace and concord; and to us sinners everlasting lifeand glory; for with the Father and the Holy Spirit you liveand reign, one God, now and for ever. Amen.

In his book, Christ our Passover, Canadian theologian Stephen Reynolds writes, "The first generation of the Church believed in the resurrection of Jesus because they found they could trust those who had seen the Lord Jesus after he rose from the dead ... the proof of their testimony was the way they lived. For they staked their lives on the resurrection and acted accordingly." Are willing to stake our lives on the resurrection and act accordingly?

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